You Are Precious and Priceless

Our Identity in Christ Jesus:

We are new creations in Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Lord’s Day 1, from the Heidelberg Catechism; Q & A 1 (excerpt with my emphasis added) 

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own, but belong . . 

Because I belong to Him (my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ), Christ, by His Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him. 

About 10 years ago, it struck me as ironic that in the reformed tradition we love HC Lord’s Day 1, Q&A 1 (at least the first part) and the deep assurance it gives us, yet, I often heard verses quoted that negate the last line of this answer. Here are some I've read:

Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Isaiah 64:6: Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Psalm 51:5: Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

1 Timothy 1:15: This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.

Romans 7: Law, holiness, and sin (particularly verses 15-23)

I kept hearing this focus on what we were apart from Christ, yet applying it to us as believers and followers of Christ. This sense that we are horrible sinners, stuck struggling with sin, instead of by the power of the Holy Spirit, being wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him. What a dichotomy! So, which is it?

I’m not saying we don’t sin, but I’m saying we are no longer sinners in God’s eyes (& who are we to say differently, yet we have done so). In Christ, we no longer want to sin and hopefully as we mature in Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we truly are wholeheartedly willing and ready to live for Christ. Being “sinners” is no longer our identity, that is what we were! But now, we are new creations in Christ. The old is gone! We are now walking in Romans 8 by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 7 and 8 is probably the most drastic difference of focus. The first-person pronouns me, myself, and I are mentioned about 40 times in Romans 7:13-25, and the Holy Spirit is referred to to about 20 times in Romans 8! 

I compiled a partial list of who we are in Christ! This is who God says we are in His Word! This isn't because of what we have done, but because of Who He is and what He has done! We are His children/family, His ambassadors, His royal priesthood, His saints! Why would we not want to walk in our true identity for His glory and our good. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do so, and be the witnesses to others to see His work in & through us.

He calls us HIS SAINTS, HIS HOLY PEOPLE (over 90 times in NT):

To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints (Rom 1:7);

because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God  (Rom 8:27);

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. (I Cor 1:2);

To all the saints in Christ Jesus (Phil 1:1);

He calls us sons and daughters, His children, over and over:

“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty”  (2 Cor 6:18)

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!  (I John 3:1)

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith (Gal 3:26)

He calls us righteous:

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers (I Peter 3:12)

He calls us dearly beloved (Colossians 3:12)

He calls us temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 8:9, 2 Timothy 1:14)

He calls us anointed

He calls us upright in heart

He calls us faithful and Godly

He calls us those who fear Him

He calls us friends (John 15:13-15), forgiven, redeemed, cherished, loved, upright, Beloved of God (Rom 1:7), beloved brethren (James 2:5), children of God (John 1:12), sons of the living God (Rom 9:26), sons of the Most High (Luke 6:35), children of the promise (Rom 9:8), chosen (lots of verses), co-workers/fellow workers/co-laborers (1 Cor 3:9), dear children (Eph 5:1), elect of God (Col 3:12), the faithful (Ps 12:1), the Godly (2 Pet 2:9), heirs of God (Gal 4:7), holy/royal priesthood (I Pet 2:5-9), the just (Hab 2:4), little children (1 John 2:1), living stones (1 Pet 2:5), special people (Titus 2:14), slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:18), sheep of Christ (John 10:1-16), servants of Christ (1 Cor 7:22), salt of the earth (Matt 5:13:16), His treasured people (Malachi 3:17) . . .

and this list is not even close to complete!

And, finally:

WE are BLESSED! 

This is who God says you are!

The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”  (Zeph 3:17)